Touchpad or Touchscreen and Control Element for a Touchpad or Touchscreen

1. A touchpad or touchscreen, comprising: a sensitive control panel to control functions of a device when a surface of display screen is touched by a user; and a mechanical control element arranged above the sensitive control panel, the control element having an actuator which acts on the sensitive control panel to control functions of the device when the control element is moved, wherein the control element has a stationary part permanently mounted in relation to the sensitive control panel, and a movable part which is controlled by the user in a movable manner on the stationary part, the actuator being part of the stationary part.

2. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stationary part is glued to the sensitive control panel.

3. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stationary part is attached to a side of the sensitive control panel with a frame, or the frame itself forms the stationary part of the control element.

4. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the control element can be detached or moved away from the control panel.

5. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control element is a rotary control element rotated by the user.

6. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control element is a slider control element slid by the user.

7. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator rests on the sensitive control panel as a spring-loaded sliding contact and follows the movement of the control element.

8. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a spring mechanism or hammer mechanism which executes discrete switching movements when the control element is moved.

9. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the spring mechanism or hammer mechanism has an inclined area or a sequence of inclined areas which, when the control element is moved, move a spring element against the sensitive control panel.

10. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the inclined areas are arranged as a sawtooth contour on the movable part of the control element and the at least one spring element is arranged on the stationary part.

11. The touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensitive control panel is a sensitive display screen, and the sensitive display screen is sub-divided into a display panel for displaying function-related data, and a control panel in which the at least one control element is arranged.

12. The touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 wherein a separate display panel which displays function-related data is provided on the control element.

13. The touchscreen as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sensitive control panel is a sensitive display screen, and at least one optical fiber element displays a representation of the sensitive display screen on the display panel.

14. The touchscreen according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one optical fiber element has lens elements, optical fiber conductors and/or color filters which vary the colors of and/or increase or reduce the size of the representation.

15. The touchpad or touchscreen as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an electromagnet is provided beneath the sensitive display panel, said electromagnet acting in conjunction with a magnetic element assigned to the control element to vary the operating characteristic.

16. A control element for a touch pad or a touchscreen having a sensitive control panel, comprising: a stationary part which is attachable to the sensitive control panel; a movable part with which a user can execute control movements to control a function of a device; and an actuator that is part of the stationary part, for discrete or continuous action on the sensitive control panel.

17. The control element as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the movable part is a rotary control element or a slider control element.

18. The control element as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the stationary part has a smooth surface for the application of adhesive.